Might as well officially introduce myself

yeahthatpaula

So, I used to be 330(ish) pounds. At my heaviest, I wore a size 28 in pants.

I got a divorce (best decision ever), started eating healthier, became a bicycle commuter and lost about 100 pounds. I still had a ways to go. Then I moved to a new smaller city, got a new job (sedentary), and started going to school at night. I still tried to eat mostly healthy foods, but you all know how that works, so I let myself go a bit. I regained 50 pounds.

I sit all day at work (reception for a doctor's office), my scrubs barely fit me. My bicycle commute has been slashed from 30 miles round trip to 4 miles. I ride the bus to school. I get winded from walking a block or up stairs.

I finally hit bottom a couple of weeks ago when I tried on a pair of size 18 Levi's. I couldn't fit them over my upper thighs. I left the store and drove around my city trying to find a decent pair of jeans in a size 20 that didn't make me look like an old fat lady.

No dice.

I tried Weight Watchers a few times, since I work full time and go to school, I don't have the time or money to spend each week going to meeting and getting their products. While South Beach diet worked for me, it's too restrictive and I am not able to commit to it for longer than a month. So it's time for basic math, I'm just counting caloric input vs output.

My girlfriend is in Japan and I'm "taking care" of her car. I leave it home most days. I still bus it to school because I don't have a lot of time after work to bike 13 miles to school. A week ago someone stole my rear tire of my commuter bike, the other bike I have is a single speed 50 lb Flying Pigeon and I live in a very hilly town so I'm not taking that to school.

I have a bread-maker that I bought so I could make healthy bread. It will be collecting dust until I can fit into a pair of 18 jeans. I want to lose 120 pounds, but for now I'll be happy just fitting into a pair of 18 jeans.

My girlfriend and I went to Europe a couple of months ago. Walking around all day (on cobblestones) was more painful than I care to admit, and I'm not happy with any of the pictures I'm in. That's just WRONG. This needs to change now.

I've lost a few pounds since joining MFP nearly two weeks ago. Already my scrubs are a little more comfortable, but still tight.

Let's do this.